#Movable chicken coop free#

It’s important to err on the side of more space when possible since crowding is stressful for the flock and can even lead to pecking injuries and cannibalism. A properly sized run will include 8 to 10 square feet of room for each chicken. And a flock of free-roaming birds can quickly tear up a small yard space with their scratching and pecking.Ī good solution is to set up an enclosed run that gives the chickens enough space to roam while containing their scratching and pecking to a set area.

#Movable chicken coop free#

Some chicken keepers don’t have the space to offer free ranging. This gives the birds plenty of open space to forage and explore.

Many chicken keepers allow their flock to free range during the day. Just like their jungle-exploring relatives, domesticated chickens need room to roam and satisfy their natural urge to forage and flop. It’s not enough to keep chickens locked up, safely protected from predators. It includes two nesting boxes with a top hinge for easy access when collecting eggs. The Petsfit hen house is a secure, ventilated enclosure to protect free-ranging hens from predators at night. Because some predators like raccoons are dexterous, the door should lock securely. The coop should provide at least 2 to 3 feet of space per chicken. Instead, they enjoy unihemispheric sleep where half the brain rests while the other half stays alert for predators.Ī safe coop is built from solid material like wood or metal with ventilation provided by small-gauge mesh. For these animals, the whole brain never sleeps. In fact, chickens are so vulnerable at night that they belong to a unique group of sleepers that includes some marine mammals and other birds. This makes them especially vulnerable to predators that roam in the dark. Like most birds, chickens don’t see well at night. Chicks and smaller breeds also face danger from the sky in the form of hawks and owls that swoop down to pick up a meal.

This leaves the flock exposed to a wide array of natural predators, including raccoons, skunks, opossums, and domestic pets like dogs and cats. Few domesticated chickens have access to the thick plant cover and tall trees that a jungle provides-especially chickens kept in urban or suburban environments. The first consideration for a new backyard flock is safety. The ideal chicken coop provides a secure roosting enclosure to keep the birds safe from predators and gives the flock plenty of space to roam and forage like they would in the wild. At night, they fly up into the trees to roost away from the reach of hungry predators.Ĭhickens in a backyard flock have the same instincts. During the day, the birds forage for fruit, seeds, grains, insects, and flop around in the dust to “bathe” their oily feathers.

These red junglefowl live in forested areas with naturally thick vegetation-perfect for hiding nests and rich with food sources. The closest living relatives of domesticated chickens are wild poultry native to the jungles of Southeast Asia. Selecting the best chicken coop for raising chickens is about balancing chicken biology with the unique needs of urban flocks. Thanks to the uptick in interest in raising backyard chickens, new chicken keepers are faced with an overwhelming number of choices when setting up a proper hen house. The Best Chicken Coop for a Healthy Backyard Flock

Best with a Run: Best Choice Products Hen House.

The ideal chicken coop for raising backyard chickens balances the need to protect the flock from predators with the birds’ instincts to roam and explore. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new to raising chickens or already have experience, whether you’re in it for the fresh eggs and meat or simply want a new hobby, the single most important decision is choosing the best chicken coop. And those numbers are soaring, especially when it comes to urban chicken keeping. In recent years, about 8 percent of households in the United States-about 10 million people-kept chickens. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.